


ghastly silhouettes

by lester_sheehan



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Evil Charming - Freeform, F/F, F/M, Gen, Multi, Swan Queen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-21 13:38:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6053596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lester_sheehan/pseuds/lester_sheehan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Underworld is home to some unhappy spirits- as Regina very quickly finds out. Implied Swan Queen. A pinch of Evil Charming.</p>
            </blockquote>





	ghastly silhouettes

**Author's Note:**

> This is only a little thing, not really my best. I'm still annoyed that I wrote this in past tense instead of 3rd person present.

She’d never expected the Underworld to be so cold. It lacked fire, flames, and ash, yet a dampness still clung to her. The air was thin- suffocating- and the walls were cave-like and bare. She realised very quickly that she was alone. 

“Henry?” she called out, taking a few steps forward. Her eyes narrowed. “Emma?” There wasn’t even an echo. 

She spun around- looking back the way she came, teeth grit and eyes dark- but all that could be seen was an endless tunnel of charcoal ground and fallen rock. 

She breathed in deeply. Took another step forward. Kept her hands out, magic at the ready. 

Hours passed- or at least it felt that way. She was growing desperate, and her stomach twisted at the thought of walking any longer in the darkness. With no knowledge as to where she was, Regina came to a stop, resting her back against the nearest wall; she ran a weary hand down her face.

And then she heard it. 

It was low at first, like a hushed whisper. A flurry of sound, consistent mumbling and hissed speech. She pushed herself up and glanced in either direction. Moving so fast that she couldn’t possibly register what it was, something swept by her, causing her hair to flutter gently before settling atop her shoulders.

Regina swallowed, raised her chin, and waited. It flew past again, this time so close and so rapid that she almost had to close her eyes. A pain filled her head, unlike any she’d ever felt before. It wasn’t truly physical, yet it wasn’t solely mental either; it was a pain that could only be described as binding. She felt paralysed, feet rooted to the spot, and although her mouth parted, no sound escaped her lips. 

And then it was over just as quickly as it had begun, releasing her from its grip, leaving her to fall to her knees and gasp for breath, one hand pressed tightly to her chest. But this time, when she glanced up with bloodshot eyes, she wasn’t alone. 

Her mother stood before her, tall and rigid, before going down on one knee and placing a crooked finger beneath Regina’s chin. “Get up,” she said softly. 

Brushing Cora’s hand away, Regina rose unsteadily. Cora’s eyes- soulless and empty as they were- seemed to drill into her own. “I’m-” Regina started, but was cut off with a flick of Cora’s wrist. 

“There’s no time for that,” she said, clear and undeterred. “You need to get out of here.”

Regina raised her eyebrows in disbelief, anger glistening in the tears that she refused to let fall. “How?”

Cora's features softened. She took ahold of Regina's hand and placed something inside of it. “It’ll take you back.”

“To Storybrooke?”

“No, my dear.” She paused, looked her daughter up and down, as though knowing it was the last chance she’d get. “I’ve made mistakes. I’m paying the price for those. Don’t let this trip be one of yours.”

And then she was gone, but something deep within Regina’s gut told her that she was not yet alone. She opened her palm, holding the newly acquired stone before her, turning it over within her fingers. Shutting her eyes, she willed for it to work. 

But it didn’t.

She tried again, and again, and again, to no avail; after the eighth or ninth try, she threw the stone in frustration. It clinked against the ground as though made of glass. She almost expected it to shatter.

Lowering herself onto the floor, she sat cross-legged, elbows on her knees and face in her palms. She remained there for a while, the room unchanging. Time seemed to no longer exist as she stared into the darkness, her mind occasionally playing tricks on her, shadows appearing where they couldn’t. 

Her mind flashed to her mother and the warning she’d uttered. She wondered how many souls roamed these caves, and how many of those were waiting for her.

As if thought alone was enough to bring them coming, ghastly silhouettes started to move across the walls- Regina could see them gathering, sticking together like lumps of clay- formless and translucent, still trying to break through, still trying to reach her. 

She couldn’t see their faces, couldn’t tell who they were. But maybe that was the idea. Maybe she’d never know who she slaughtered, never see the father she ripped brutally from his family, or the innocent that died at her command. 

And maybe that was its own kind of punishment.

They swarmed towards her, resistant to her touch; they were only physical when they wished, it seemed. She clambered onto her knees, palms out before her, but no fire came. Her breathing grew shallow, and her body felt as though it was being pulled into the earth. Beads of sweat gathered on her brow. 

“Leave me alone,” she snarled. “Go back to your Hell.”

The attack only increased. Her hair was yanked viciously, nails digging into her face like talons. Blood seeped from the jagged wounds, dripping onto her neck and smearing across her cheek. Amidst the chaos, her fingers reached desperately for the stone she’d thrown. She fought against the shades that tugged on her clothes and clawed at her skin, focusing only on obtaining it. 

When her fingers finally managed to clasp it and draw it close, she covered her face with her arm and held the rock tight. She thought of Henry and Emma, even David and Snow. She prayed that it would listen.

And then the scratching ceased. Uncertainly, she sat up, face battered and body worn, straining against the newfound light. The stone lay broken in her hand.

“Regina, you’re being awfully quiet.” A few metres ahead of her, Snow stopped and turned to look back, expression falling. “Regina?” When she finally reached her, she held her shoulders, preventing her from standing too soon. Hands worriedly brushed at her hair, fingers tracing the air above her injuries. “What happened to you?” she whispered.

David hooked an arm under Regina’s- he chose to pointedly ignore the way she snapped, “I’m fine”- and pulled her to her feet. 

“What happened?” he repeated, hands lingering by her side.

Regina straightened her shirt and refused to meet his eyes. “Something I’d rather not deal with. It doesn't matter.” She slipped her hand into Henry’s, all but dragging him along with her. “Let’s go. Where are the others?” 

“Regina,” David said, rushing to her side, easily keeping up with her pace. 

Snow followed quickly, disbelief clouding her features. “They went the other way, no more than five minutes ago. We thought you were right behind us.”

“Let’s just say that there a few people here not too pleased to see me.”

Snow opened her mouth as if to speak, but Regina, deciding that vengeful spirits may be better company, shot her a strong enough glare to silence her, before pulling Henry closer. “Not here.”

She was grateful when the pair seemed to understand, falling into step a few feet behind her. As they walked on, Regina steadied her breathing, focusing on Henry’s hand within her own. She brushed aside any tears as quickly as they came. “Let’s go save the pirate," she mumbled.

She didn’t deserve to cry on this day. 

They carried on walking in this formation for what seemed like miles. Snow and David had started to talk, a conversation easily flowing. Henry occasionally piped in, but spent the majority of the time next to Regina. Every now and again she’d feel his gaze on her face, could feel his impatience and worry at what had happened to her, but knew that he trusted her enough now to stay silent.

Her demons were hers alone to deal with. 

The wounds on her face burned against the contrasting air, making them sting like the cut of glass; her limbs felt heavy and stiff. She needed rest. She needed to sit down and force herself into at least a semblance of order. 

“Which one of you idiots thought it would be a good idea to split up?” she said, quickly growing vexed. 

“Actually,” Snow said, “it was Emma’s.”

“Of course it was,” Regina said, tipping her head back slightly. “How are we supposed to find them?”

Snow pursed her lips; ventured, “I think it’s more about finding _Hook._ ”

Regina scoffed and raised her arms, wincing slightly at the movement. “I know,” she said, with a brush of her hand. A few seconds passed and then, “Remind me again why I'm even doing this.”

“For Mom,” Henry said gently, rendering her silent. 

David had been watching their bickering from a distance, arms crossed as his eyes flit between each speaker. It was at this moment that he decided to intervene. “Okay, I think it’s time we took a break. This is getting us nowhere.” He moved nearer, fixing his stare on Regina. “The last thing we need is to start getting at each other’s throats."

Snow gave a small smile, placing her hand within his. “No, you’re right,” she said. “We should sit down."

And so they did. Snow, David and Henry sat together, talking about everything and nothing at all. Regina, on the other hand, sat a few feet away- she’d taken off her jacket to put it beneath her- with her back to the wall and her eyes closed. She had her arms on her knees, one hand crossed over the other. 

There was a scuffle and a distinct lack of David’s voice in conversation. She felt a body collapse onto the floor beside her and David’s heavy sigh. Slowly opening her eyes, Regina gave him a sideways glance, almost suspicious at his move to join her.

They remained in silence for a while before he asked, “Care to explain what happened yet?”

“None of your business, Charming."

“You look like hell.”

“Hilarious.”

He tilted his head. She rolled her eyes and looked away. A stillness settled over them once again. She knew that he would wait as long as it took. “I saw my mother, amongst other things.” His stare softened, and God, she hated it. “The rest of you have nothing to worry about.” A pause. “I’d tell you if you did.”

“I know,” he said, nudging her shoulder gently. She looked down as though he’d cut her, but eventually let a small smile grow.

She tempered it quickly. “This is useless. We have no idea where we are.”

David leant back further and stretched his arms. “For once, I agree.”

They sat like that for a few minutes more- Regina lost in thought; David attempting to come up with a plan- until they eventually heard a whispered, “Mom?” as Emma rushed towards them.

Snow stood tentatively, loosely reaching a hand towards her daughter. “Where are the others?”

Emma shook her head, shoulders raised. “No idea. Lost them a while back. What are you all doing?” Her eyes flit to Regina, who had only just started to make her way over. “What the hell happened to you?”

“I’ll try not to take offence at that.” Emma grimaced and shuffled on the spot, switching her weight from one foot to the other. “You said you lost them. Where?”

“One minute they were beside me. The next, boom. Gone.”

“And how did you find your way here?”

Emma furrowed her brow, mouth opening once before closing again. “I just… carried on walking.”

Regina gave a bitter laugh and rubbed at her temple. “And you don’t all think this is a little too coincidental? When I was… attacked…”- if possible, Emma’s stare grew even more questioning, but Regina carried on before she could speak- “My mother gave me a stone. She told me it would bring me back- to, I assumed, where you all were. But it didn’t work the first time, and when it did work, I hadn’t done anything differently. And now the others are gone, and amidst this maze, you just… magically happen to stumble upon us?” She scoffed and when she next spoke, the word was like poison. “No.”

Henry shrugged his shoulders. “She has a point.”

“I think she has more than just a point, kid,” Emma said, looking around her. “We’re rats in a maze.”

“Well, what do you suggest?” Snow said, aiming her question at Regina. 

“We either carry on walking, or we stop and wait for someone to come to us.”

Emma swallowed past the lump in her throat. “And what about Hook? He’s out there somewhere.”

“I’m not sure time matters much here,” Regina said, attempting to soften her tone- if only a little.

David raised his hands. “Sit and wait it is.”

An hour later and Regina was separated from the group once again, attempting to avoid one of Snow’s interrogations. Each time she’d winced at a movement or breathed in just a little too sharply, she’d seen the girl’s eyes flicker in her direction, face poised as though to speak. She’d eventually had enough and moved away, stating that if they had to remain here for however long, she couldn’t bear to listen to their rambling anymore. 

And in a mirror image to a few hours before, Emma came to sit beside her. Her legs were crossed, body facing Regina, hair thrown up in a loose ponytail. “You said you were attacked.”

“You get your bluntness from your father, you know.”

Emma gave a light smile. “Yup.”

“Then I’ll tell you what I told him. The Underworld isn’t really a happy place for someone who’s killed as much as I have.” Her voice faltered slightly- barely enough for anyone to pick up on, but Emma noticed the shift.

She didn’t want to press Regina, knew that doing so would only result in her talking _less_ , but she also knew that Regina would never speak without prompting. “Was it only your face they got to then?”

Regina ran her tongue along her bottom lip, refusing to meet Emma’s eyes. “It was more of a free for all.”

“Can I see?”

Regina turned to stare at her incredulously. “What could possibly compel you to ask that?”

Shaking her head jokily, Emma said, “Come on. What harm can it do?” She knew she was pushing it, and so she couldn’t quite hide her surprise when Regina actually started to move, lifting up the hem of her shirt ever so slightly. 

Her face was hard, unmoving, as she stared ahead of her. “Happy?”

Emma rocked forward to get a closer look. There were long scratch marks running across her side, wounds still red and blazing. Some were deeper than others, as though someone had pierced the skin and refused to let go. They were clearly irritated, no doubt from the cloth of her shirt sticking to the open sores. 

Gently, so as not to cause any pain, Emma ran her finger along the space beside one of the scratches, lips parted in disbelief. Regina jerked away from her touch almost viciously, causing Emma’s eyes to shoot up. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you? I-”

Regina settled back into her position. “No. No, you didn’t hurt me.” She met Emma’s stare. “If anything, you just surprised me.”

“You need to cover those. They’re gonna get infected.” 

“I didn’t realise you were so adept at playing nurse.”

She chose to ignore Regina’s jibe, eyes falling to the floor. “You know you didn’t deserve that, right?”

“Emma, if anything, I deserved much worse.” She breathed in deeply. “Just leave it.”

Emma nodded and readjusted herself until she was leaning against the wall, their shoulders mere millimetres apart. 

And for the first time all day, she almost forgot why they were there.


End file.
